Milking parlor stall



Aug. 14, 1951 H. B. BABsoN ETAL `MILKING PARLOR STALL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Feb. l0, v1948 H. B. BABsoN Ei-Al. 2,564,047

Aug. 14, 1951 MILKING PARLoR {STALL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10,.1948

Aug. 14, 1951 HQ B. BAB-SON E'r A1. 2,564,047

MILKING PARLOR STALL Filed Feb. 1o, 1948 3 sheets-sheet :s

Patented Aug. 14,1951

MILKING PARLOR STALL Henry B. Babson, Chicago, and Chester A. "Thomas,Lake Forest, Ill., assignors to Babson Bros. Co., a corporation oiIllinois Original application February 25, 1946, Serial No.

649,924. Divided and t 10, 1948, Serial No.

Claims.

This invention relates to a milking parlor, and more particularly to animproved parlor stalI construction.

The present application is primarily concerned with improvements in astall particularly for milking parlors, as of the general type shown inBabson and Stampen Reissue Patent 22,657 of August 7, 1945. Thisapplication is a divisionv of our application Serial No. 649,924, ledFebruary 25, 1946, now Patent 2,477,035, issued July 26, 1949.

We have found it highly desirable to arrange a plurality of parlorstalls in a milking parlor in zigzag or stepped relationship, asdisclosed and claimed in the above-mentioned reissue patent; and to havethe cow oor (the floor on which the cows Walk and on which the stallsare placed) at a` higher level than the operators floor or alley. Ifthere is something in the neighborhood of a couple of feet difference inthe licor levels the operator can place milking machines in operationand remove them from under the cow at a level which is much moreconvenient and which greatly reduces the effort otherwise necessary ifthe operator must' stoop to a low level to put the machine into andremove it from milking position.

The particular arrangement illustrated, making use of a regularly formedwall, as contrasted with a zigzag wall having right angle cornerstherein, rising from the floor of the operators alley along a line backfrom the projecting ends of the stalls, and having the floor supportingthe stalls vwith atleast a portion of its irregular margin projectingout over this wall, is the subject oi' claims in the parent application649,924.

Another feature which is the subject of claims inthe parent applicationis the provision of an improved feeding trough and chute arrangement atthe endI of each parlor stall, facilitating feeding a grain supplement,for example, to the cows during milking.

The feature to which this divisional application is directed is theprovision of an improved stall construction Which provides the maximumrigidity and strength with the minimum of uprights-and bracing members,by making the basic framework of the 'stall triangular. That is, insteado making the basic stall structure rectangular. we have found that itcan be greatly simpled and strengthened by using a triangular mainstructure, although the general construction and arrangement issuch thatthe space into which the 'cow is brought is generally rectangular inshape.

other features and advantages of this invenhis application February7,434

' ed in general as lu, II and I2 are shown as ar-` tion will be apparentfrom the following specilication and the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of milking parlor embodying ourinventions; Figure 2 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional View, partlybroken away, and with the stalls removed, to show the relationshipbetween the supporting wall and the iioor of the operators alley; Figure3 is an enlarged plan view principally consisting of a single stall;Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in Figure 3;Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view along the line 5-5 ofFigure 3; and Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectionalView of the feeding trough and chute, along the line S-t of Figure 5.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated herewith threeparlor stalls designatranged in zigzag or stepped relationship (inaccordance with the teachings of the above-mentioned Reissue Patent22,657, to which reference may be made to supplement the presentdisclosure if desired) on the cow floor I 3, the higher level floor ofthe two iioors in the milking parlor barn here indicated in general asI4. The other side ofthe milking parlor barn is here indicated asprovided with a floor I5 at a lower level, this providing the operatorsworking iioor or operators alley, as it is sometimes termed, suitablesets of steps being provided for communication between the two floorswhich are preferably about two feet different in level, as may be lbestseen in Figure 5.

The cow floor is provided with an irregular margin comprising' thetriangulai1 portions Isc, I3b and I3c, these triangular portions eachhaving one long side and one short side and in general having an area ofthe same order as that of half the area required for each stall. Betweenthe cow floor I3 and the operator floor I5 is a supporting wall it, thiswall being regularly formed; i. e., with no sharp angles or changes ofdirections, the particular wall shown here being straight. As may bebest understood from Figures 2 and 5, the saw tooth shaped margin of theupper floor consisting of the triangular portions I'a, |313y and I3cprojects out from this wall IB, so that at the level of the cow floorthe margin is irregular. Nevertheless, since the wall it is regularlyformed the junction line between the Wall I6 and the noor I5 of theoperators level is regular and without any sharp irregularities, so thatit may be readily completely cleaned as by liushingl with a hose orsweeping with a broom,

Referring now more particular to Figures 3 and 4, and describing thestall as representative, it will be seen that each stall comprises atriangular section as its basic or main framework. In the stall forexample, this triangular frame comprises the vertical members or posts2|, 22 and 23, with their lower ends set in the concrete of the cowfloor I3, and with their upper ends held in the desired relationship bybracing members 24, 25 and 26, generally of pipe, located at a heightabove the normal height of a cow. The posts 2| and 23 are on the side ofthe stall toward the operators alley, While the post 22 is on theopposite side of the stall, as may be best seen in Figure 3; and thislatter post serves as the pivotal mounting means for entrance and exitgates here identified in general as 21 and 28. Manual operating meansincluding the handle 29, riser member 30 and interconnecting linkage 3|serves to enable the gate 21 to be moved between opened and closedposition and locked in closed position; and handle 32, riser member 33and connecting linkage 34 serve similarly for the exit gate 28. Thegeneral construction and operation of such gates and their action may befurther gone into if desired by reference to the above-mentioned ReissuePatent 22,657, or the copending Thomas application Serial No. 522,883,filed February 18, 1944, which issued as Patent No. 2,528,255 on October31, 1950. The exit gate 28 cooperates with the vertical post 35 of thenext stall in the line of parlor stalls, corresponding to the post 2| ofthe stall just described.

While the use of entrance and exit gates, and even somecurvature at theends of such gates is not now first being disclosed, the stall structurewith which they are associated has heretofore been much morecomplicated, involved a greater number of posts and not as strong. Somelengthening of the gates and their arrangement and relationship asillustrated has enabled the basic structure of the stall to betriangular, as heretofore described, and this has resulted not only in asimpler construction but in one which is much sturdier and moresatisfactory than any heretofore in use.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 4, and 6, it will be seenthat each stall is provided in the end thereof with a feeding trough, asthe trough 4D, this preferably being behind a shield member 4| adaptedto minimize the amount of feed which the cow may accidentally knock overinto the operators alley. In order to prevent any feed from being forcedup over the end of the trough 40 and out through the end of the stall,an end plate 42 is provided for a similar shielding purpose. Heretoforeproper shielding of the feed trough has rendered its frequent llingrather dificult, and we have obviated this difliculty by providing achute 43 in the end of veach stall communicating through the opening 42awith the interior of the trough 40. By locating this chute in the end ofthe stall it is out of the way, not interfering with operation of thehandles 29 and 32 controlling the position of the gates nor projectingout into the normal walking path of an operator so that he might catchhis clothes, bruise his arm, or the like. On the other hand, the chuteis in a location and at a level where iilling the trough with a measuredamount of grain or feed is very convenient, as the stepped arrangementof the floor margin is such that the operator can step right up to thechute when he desires to do so. More- 4 over, its location is such thatunnecessary walking is minimized, as the operator can turn to his lefthand, i'lll the feed trough of a stall into which he has just admitted acow, and on which a milker has been placed, then turn, without furtherwalking, to the right to open the gates of the next stall, let out thecow that has just been milked, admit a new cow and place a machine inoperation on the new cow.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention,lit is to be understood that it is capable of many modications. Changes,therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in theappended claims.

We claim:

1. A stall for a milking parlor, comprising: a pair of spaced Verticalend members at one side of the stall structure each consisting of asingle post; a central vertical supporting member consisting of a singlepost at the other side of the stall structure; bracing members extendingbetween said end posts and between said central post and each of saidend posts; and a pair of gates swingably mounted on said central post.

2. A stall for a milking parlor, comprising: a pair of spaced verticalend members at one side of the stall structure each consisting of asingle post; a central vertical supporting member consisting of a singlepost at the other side of the stall structure, bracing members extendingbetween said end posts and between said central post and each of saidend posts at a height above the normal height of a cow; and a pair ofgates swingably mounted on said central post.

3. A stall for a milking parlor, comprising: a pair of spaced verticalend members at one side of the stall structure each consisting of asingle post; a central vertical supporting member consisting of a singlepost at the other side of the stall structure; bracing members extendingbetween said end posts and between said central post and each of saidend posts at a height above the normal height of a cow; and a pair ofgates swingably mounted on said central post, at least one of said gateshaving a curved end portion extending to a point adjacent one of saidend posts when the gate is closed.

4. A stall for a milking parlor, comprising: a pair of spaced verticalend members at one Side of the stall structure; a central verticalsupporting member at the other side of the stall structure; bracingmembers extending between Said end members and between said centralmember and each of said end members; and a pair of gates swingablymounted on said central member and each adapted to extend to a pointadjacent one of said end members when the gate is closed, at least-oneof said end members being narrow and the corresponding gate having acurved end portion, with said curved end portion forming the major partof the end of the stall that is defined by said narrow end member andthecurved end portion.

5. A stall for a milking parlor, comprising: a pair of spaced verticalend members at one side of the stall structure; a central verticalsupporting member at the other side of the stall structure; bracingmembers extending between said end members and between said centralmember and. each of said end members; and a pair of gates swingablymounted on said central member and each adapted to extend to a pointadjacent one of said end members when the gate isvclosed, at

5 6 least one of said end members consisting of a UNITED STATES PATENTSsingle post and the corresponding gate having Number Name Date a curvedend portion forming the major part of 1 863 603 Marshall Jr June 21 1932the end of the stall that is dened by said post 2259012 De Carli' Jan. 61942 and said curved end portion. 5 2,528,255 a u 1' 1950 HENRY B.BABSON. ThOmaS OC- 3 y CHESTER A. THOMAS. FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate REFERENCES CITED 438,432 Great Britain Nov. 1s, 1935 The followingreferences are of record in the 10 le of this patent:

